Biryani - Revision history

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added info

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	'''Biryani''' is a [[mixed rice dish]] originating in [[South<!--inc. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, please leave this alone, thank you--> Asia]], traditionally made with rice, meat ([[Chicken as food\|chicken]], [[Goat meat\|goat]], [[beef]]) or seafood ([[Shrimp and prawn as food\|prawns]] or [[Fish as food\|fish]]), vegetables, and [[spices]]. It was present in [[Mughal Empire\|Mughal-era India]], though the precise date and place of origin are debated.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> It is thought to derive from a [[Persian cuisine\|Persian]] rice dish, either ''[[Pilaf\|pilau]]'' or ''birinj biryan''.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><ref name="TheHindu2012"/><ref name="BBC 2016"/> The dish makes use of slow-cooking as in Persian pilau, combined with Persian-style yoghurt-[[marinated]] meat and a spicy [[Indian cuisine\|Indian]] style of cooking; it was likely developed in the Mughal court kitchens.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> It is also possible that biryani was brought to South India before the Mughal era, or that pilau was brought to India and biryani was developed from it before being adopted by the Mughals.<!--lead summarises cited text in article body-->		'''Biryani''' is a [[mixed rice dish]] originating in [[South<!--inc. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, please leave this alone, thank you--> Asia]], traditionally made with rice, meat ([[Chicken as food\|chicken]], [[Goat meat\|goat]], [[beef]]), seafood ([[Shrimp and prawn as food\|prawns]] or [[Fish as food\|fish]]), or vegetables, and [[spices]]. It was present in [[Mughal Empire\|Mughal-era India]], though the precise date and place of origin are debated.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> It is thought to derive from a [[Persian cuisine\|Persian]] rice dish, either ''[[Pilaf\|pilau]]'' or ''birinj biryan''.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><ref name="TheHindu2012"/><ref name="BBC 2016"/> The dish makes use of slow-cooking as in Persian pilau, combined with Persian-style yoghurt-[[marinated]] meat and a spicy [[Indian cuisine\|Indian]] style of cooking; it was likely developed in the Mughal court kitchens.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> It is also possible that biryani was brought to South India before the Mughal era, or that pilau was brought to India and biryani was developed from it before being adopted by the Mughals.<!--lead summarises cited text in article body-->

	Biryani is one of the most popular dishes in South<!--inc. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, please leave this alone--> Asia and among the [[South Asian diaspora]]. The dish ~~was~~ often associated with [[Islam in South Asia\|the region's Muslim population]] but is ~~now~~ a mainstream culinary staple embraced by every demographic.<!--<ref name="scroll7Feb20202"/>--> Similar dishes are prepared in many other countries, often with local variations, and often brought there by South Asian diaspora populations. Biryani is the most-ordered dish on Indian online food ordering and delivery services, is used in weddings and celebrations throughout the region, and has been described as the most popular dish in India.<!--lead summarises cited text in article body-->		Biryani is one of the most popular dishes in South<!--inc. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, please leave this alone--> Asia and among the [[South Asian diaspora]]. The dish is often associated with [[Islam in South Asia\|the region's Muslim population]] in particular,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Ramnath \|first=Nandini \|date=2025-07-05 \|title=‘Exoticised, alienised, villainised’: A book looks at how Muslims have been portrayed in Hindi films \|url=https://scroll.in/reel/1081541/exoticised-alienised-villainised-a-book-looks-at-how-muslims-have-been-portrayed-in-hindi-films \|access-date=2026-04-30 \|website=Scroll.in \|language=en}}</ref> but is nevertheless a mainstream culinary staple embraced by every demographic.<!--<ref name="scroll7Feb20202"/>--> Similar dishes are prepared in many other countries, often with local variations, and often brought there by South Asian diaspora populations. Biryani is the most-ordered dish on Indian online food ordering and delivery services, is used in weddings and celebrations throughout the region, and has been described as the most popular dish in India.<!--lead summarises cited text in article body-->

	== Etymology ==		== Etymology ==
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	[[File:Havij polo.jpg\|thumb\|A modern Persian [[Pilaf\|pilau]], ''havij polo'' (Persian: هویج پلو, "carrot rice") with rice grains cooked to remain separate and in different colours. Pilau may be an ancestor of biryani.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><ref name="TheHindu2012"/>]]		[[File:Havij polo.jpg\|thumb\|A modern Persian [[Pilaf\|pilau]], ''havij polo'' (Persian: هویج پلو, "carrot rice") with rice grains cooked to remain separate and in different colours. Pilau may be an ancestor of biryani.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><ref name="TheHindu2012"/>]]

	[[Pilaf\|Pilau]] (Persian: پلو 'plo', "rice") is a Persian rice dish, attested by the polymath and physician [[Avicenna]] in 10th century Persia.<ref name="Nabhan 2014">{{cite book \|last=Nabhan \|first=Gary Paul \|title=Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-glDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 \|page=135 \|publisher=[[University of California Press]] \|date=2014 \|isbn=978-0520267206}}</ref>		[[Pilaf\|Pilau]] (Persian: پلو 'plo', "rice") is a Persian rice dish, attested by the polymath and physician [[Avicenna]] in 10th century Persia.<ref name="Nabhan 2014">{{cite book \|last=Nabhan \|first=Gary Paul \|title=Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-glDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 \|page=135 \|publisher=[[University of California Press]] \|date=2014 \|isbn=978-0520267206}}</ref> According to R.N. Spengler et al., ''pilaf'' and similar rice dishes, which are staples of Central and Southwest Asian cooking, likely originated within the last thousand years following the [[Islamic Agricultural Revolution]].<ref>https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8464642/</ref>

	The [[Mughal Empire\|Mughal]] text ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]'' (written 1589–1596<ref>{{cite web \|title=Ain-I-Akbari.Vol.1 \|url=https://famineanddearth.exeter.ac.uk/displayhtml.html?id=fp_00128_en_ainiakbari_vol01 \|publisher=University of Exeter \|access-date=7 January 2026}}</ref>), from the time of the emperor [[Akbar]], mentions both pilau and biryani, listing ingredients with required quantities for each:<ref name="Ain-i-Akbari">{{cite book \|last1='Allami \|first1=Abul Fazl \|last2=Blochmann \|first2=Heinrich (trans.) \|author2-link=Heinrich Blochmann \|title=The Ain i Akbari \|date=1873 \|publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bengal]] \|location=Calcutta \|pages=59–60 \|url=https://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702050%26ct%3D0 \|archive-date=14 July 2018 \|access-date=7 January 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714022016/https://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702050%26ct%3D0 \|url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>		The [[Mughal Empire\|Mughal]] text ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]'' (written 1589–1596<ref>{{cite web \|title=Ain-I-Akbari.Vol.1 \|url=https://famineanddearth.exeter.ac.uk/displayhtml.html?id=fp_00128_en_ainiakbari_vol01 \|publisher=University of Exeter \|access-date=7 January 2026}}</ref>), from the time of the emperor [[Akbar]], mentions both pilau and biryani, listing ingredients with required quantities for each:<ref name="Ain-i-Akbari">{{cite book \|last1='Allami \|first1=Abul Fazl \|last2=Blochmann \|first2=Heinrich (trans.) \|author2-link=Heinrich Blochmann \|title=The Ain i Akbari \|date=1873 \|publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bengal]] \|location=Calcutta \|pages=59–60 \|url=https://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702050%26ct%3D0 \|archive-date=14 July 2018 \|access-date=7 January 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714022016/https://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702050%26ct%3D0 \|url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>
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	In the view of the historian of Islamic cuisine Salma Hussein<ref name="BBC 2016"/> and others, biryani came to South Asia from Persia before the Mughal era,<ref name="Vir_invention">{{cite news \|last=Sanghvi \|first=Vir \|author-link=Vir Sanghvi \|title=Biryani Nation \|url=http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-food/2010/03/03/biryani-nation/ \|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]] \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140817181203/http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-food/2010/03/03/biryani-nation/ \|archive-date=17 August 2014 \|access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref> most probably arriving in South India's [[Deccan Plateau\|Deccan region]], brought by travelling soldier-statesmen and pilgrims.<ref name="BBC 2016"/> It has also been suggested that the dish was introduced from [[Persia]] by the Mughals.<ref name="Dhillon2013">{{cite book \|last=Dhillon \|first=Kris \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kj3BBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT234 \|title=The New Curry Secret \|publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company]] \|year=2013 \|isbn=978-0-7160-2352-4 \|page=234}}</ref> Another variant theory, that biryani came to India with [[Timurid dynasty\|Timur]]'s invasion, appears to be incorrect because there is no record of biryani having existed in his native region of Central Asia during that period.<ref name="Vir_invention"/>		In the view of the historian of Islamic cuisine Salma Hussein<ref name="BBC 2016"/> and others, biryani came to South Asia from Persia before the Mughal era,<ref name="Vir_invention">{{cite news \|last=Sanghvi \|first=Vir \|author-link=Vir Sanghvi \|title=Biryani Nation \|url=http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-food/2010/03/03/biryani-nation/ \|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]] \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140817181203/http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-food/2010/03/03/biryani-nation/ \|archive-date=17 August 2014 \|access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref> most probably arriving in South India's [[Deccan Plateau\|Deccan region]], brought by travelling soldier-statesmen and pilgrims.<ref name="BBC 2016"/> It has also been suggested that the dish was introduced from [[Persia]] by the Mughals.<ref name="Dhillon2013">{{cite book \|last=Dhillon \|first=Kris \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kj3BBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT234 \|title=The New Curry Secret \|publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company]] \|year=2013 \|isbn=978-0-7160-2352-4 \|page=234}}</ref> Another variant theory, that biryani came to India with [[Timurid dynasty\|Timur]]'s invasion, appears to be incorrect because there is no record of biryani having existed in his native region of Central Asia during that period.<ref name="Vir_invention"/>

	The historian of food [[K. T. Achaya]] states that pilau is "of older usage in India" than biryani, indicating that it could have been a precursor of biryani.<ref name="TheHindu2012">{{cite news \|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/food-safari-in-search-of-ambur-biryani/article3452311.ece \|title=Food Safari: In search of Ambur biryani \|last1=Padmanabhan \|first1=Mukund \|last2=Jeyan \|first2=Subash \|last3=Wilson \|first3=Subajayanthi \|date=26 May 2012 \|newspaper=[[The Hindu]] \|access-date=6 August 2018 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018041053/http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/Food/food-safari-in-search-of-ambur-biryani/article3452311.ece \|archive-date=18 October 2012}}</ref> Achaya notes that ancient and early medieval Indian texts described rice cooked with meat and spices, suggesting that composite rice dishes were part of the subcontinent's cuisine long before the Mughal period.<ref name="Achaya1994pX">{{cite book \|last=Achaya \|first=K. T. \|title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|location=Delhi \|year=1994 \|isbn=9780195634488 \|page=X}}</ref>He further references early Tamil literature from the Sangam era ({{circa}} 300 BCE–300 CE), describing a dish known in these sources as ūn sōru—rice cooked with meat, ghee, and spices—which bears structural similarities to later layered rice preparations.<ref name="Achaya1994pY">{{cite book \|last=Achaya \|first=K. T. \|title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|location=Delhi \|year=1994 \|isbn=978-0195634488 \|page=Y}}</ref>		The historian of food [[K. T. Achaya]] states that pilau is "of older usage in India" than biryani, indicating that it could have been a precursor of biryani.<ref name="TheHindu2012">{{cite news \|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/food-safari-in-search-of-ambur-biryani/article3452311.ece \|title=Food Safari: In search of Ambur biryani \|last1=Padmanabhan \|first1=Mukund \|last2=Jeyan \|first2=Subash \|last3=Wilson \|first3=Subajayanthi \|date=26 May 2012 \|newspaper=[[The Hindu]] \|access-date=6 August 2018 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018041053/http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/Food/food-safari-in-search-of-ambur-biryani/article3452311.ece \|archive-date=18 October 2012}}</ref> Achaya notes that ancient and early medieval Indian texts described rice cooked with meat and spices, suggesting that composite rice dishes were part of the subcontinent's cuisine long before the Mughal period.<ref name="Achaya1994pX">{{cite book \|last=Achaya \|first=K. T. \|title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|location=Delhi \|year=1994 \|isbn=9780195634488 \|page=X}}</ref>He further references early Tamil literature from the Sangam era ({{circa}} 300 BCE–300 CE), describing a dish known in these sources as ūn sōru—rice cooked with meat, ghee, and spices—which bears structural similarities to later layered rice preparations.<ref name="Achaya1994pY">{{cite book \|last=Achaya \|first=K. T. \|title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|location=Delhi \|year=1994 \|isbn=978-0195634488 \|page=Y}}</ref> However, according to [[Ashis Nandy]], [[Colleen Taylor Sen]], and [[Charles Perry (food writer)\|Charles Perry]], despite having similar names, these dishes referenced in ancient Indian texts were distinct from both pulao and biryani.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Sage Journals: Discover world-class research \|url=https://journals.sagepub.com/action/cookieAbsent \|access-date=2026-04-29 \|website=Sage Journals \|language=en \|doi=10.1177/0262728004042760}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Perry \|first=Charles \|date=1994-12-15 \|title=Annual Cookbook Issue : BOOK REVIEW : An Armchair Guide to the Indian Table : INDIAN FOOD: A Historical Companion By K. T. Achaya (Oxford University Press: 1994; $35; 290 pp.) \|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-15-fo-9100-story.html \|access-date=2026-04-29 \|website=Los Angeles Times \|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Sen \|first=Colleen Taylor \|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=VN_vCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA164&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false \|title=Feasts and Fasts: A History of Food in India \|date=2014-11-15 \|publisher=[[Reaktion Books]] \|isbn=978-1-78023-391-8}}</ref> Later, K.T. Achaya himself conceded that, despite the linguistic similarity, these dishes referenced in ancient Indian texts were not the same as the medieval pulao.<ref>https://www.virsanghvi.com/Article-Details.aspx?key=1777 by [[Vir Sanghvi]] </ref>

	[[File:Theories of Biryani's origins.svg\|center\|thumb\|upright=3.5\|Biryani evidently has some connection with Persia, but commentators disagree on what that might be. [[Pilaf\|Pilau]] is certainly a Persian dish, attested by [[Avicenna]] in 10th century Persia;<ref name="Nabhan 2014"/> ''Birinj biryan'' is a Persian phrase meaning "fried rice".<ref name="Pratibha2009"/> The Mughals had biryani by the reign of [[Akbar]] in the 16th century, attested in the ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]''.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><br/>		[[File:Theories of Biryani's origins.svg\|center\|thumb\|upright=3.5\|Biryani evidently has some connection with Persia, but commentators disagree on what that might be. [[Pilaf\|Pilau]] is certainly a Persian dish, attested by [[Avicenna]] in 10th century Persia;<ref name="Nabhan 2014"/> ''Birinj biryan'' is a Persian phrase meaning "fried rice".<ref name="Pratibha2009"/> The Mughals had biryani by the reign of [[Akbar]] in the 16th century, attested in the ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]''.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><br/>
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	== In culture ==		== In culture ==

	Biryani forms "the centrepiece of countless Indian holidays and weddings".<ref name="Haq 2016 BBC">{{cite web \|last1=Haq \|first1=Husna \|title=India’s biryani wars \|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20161006-indias-biryani-wars \|publisher=[[BBC]] Travel \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=7 October 2016}}</ref> In Bangladesh, kacchi biryani with mutton has been described as "the quintessential wedding dish"<ref name="Old Dhaka"/> of [[Old Dhaka]], largely replacing the murg (chicken) pulao that was favoured in the 20th century<ref name="Old Dhaka">{{cite news \|title=Old Dhaka Weddings: Of flavours and traditions \|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/life-living/news/old-dhaka-weddings-flavours-and-traditions-3882986 \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)\|The Daily Star]]}}</ref> for special occasions across the subcontinent.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> In [[Delhi]], the Muslim festival of [[Eid al-Adha\|Bakr Eid]] was marked by biryani at dinner, using the mutton from ~~the~~ goats slaughtered in memory of the prophet [[Abraham]], who had shown he was willing ~~even~~ to sacrifice his own son.<ref name="Haq 2016 BBC"/>		Biryani forms "the centrepiece of countless Indian holidays and weddings".<ref name="Haq 2016 BBC">{{cite web \|last1=Haq \|first1=Husna \|title=India’s biryani wars \|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20161006-indias-biryani-wars \|publisher=[[BBC]] Travel \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=7 October 2016}}</ref> In Bangladesh, kacchi biryani with mutton has been described as "the quintessential wedding dish"<ref name="Old Dhaka"/> of [[Old Dhaka]], largely replacing the murg (chicken) pulao that was favoured in the 20th century<ref name="Old Dhaka">{{cite news \|title=Old Dhaka Weddings: Of flavours and traditions \|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/life-living/news/old-dhaka-weddings-flavours-and-traditions-3882986 \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)\|The Daily Star]]}}</ref> for special occasions across the subcontinent.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> In [[Delhi]], the Muslim festival of [[Eid al-Adha\|Bakr Eid]] was marked by biryani at dinner, using the mutton from goats slaughtered in memory of the prophet [[Abraham]], who had shown he was willing to sacrifice his own son.<ref name="Haq 2016 BBC"/>

	Biryani is used across the Indian Subcontinent in celebrations. Annual biryani festivals have been held in cities such as [[Ambur]],<ref>{{cite news \|title=Beef banned from menu at Tamil Nadu biryani festival, authorities asked to reconsider decision \|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/tamil-nadu/story/beef-banned-from-menu-at-tamil-nadu-biryani-festival-authorities-asked-to-reconsider-decision-1948783-2022-05-12 \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|newspaper=[[India Today]] \|date=12 May 2022}}</ref> [[Islamabad]]<ref>{{cite web \|title=Back Biryani Festival and Presenting of REAP Journal Ceremony \|url=https://www.kln.gov.my/web/pak_islamabad/news-from-mission/-/blogs/biryani-festival-and-presenting-of-reap-journal-ceremony \|publisher=High Commission of Malaysia, Islamabad \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=4 December 2023}}</ref> and [[Karachi]].<ref>{{cite web \|title=Biryani Festival 2024 \|url=https://moroccoconsulatekhi.com/biryani-festival-2024/ \|publisher=Morocco Consulate Karachi \|access-date=9 December 2025}}</ref> South Asian diaspora populations have held their own festivals, for example by the North American Indian Muslim Association in North America.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Biryani Fest \|url=https://indianmuslims.org/biryanifest/ \|publisher=North American Indian Muslim Association \|access-date=9 December 2025}}</ref> Biryani festivals have been held more widely in places such as Singapore<ref>{{cite web \|title=Savour the Flavours at Singapore's Only Biryani Festival 2.0 \|url=https://indiplomacy.com/2025/07/23/savour-the-flavours-at-singapores-only-biryani-festival-2-0/ \|website=In Diplomacy \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=23 July 2025}}</ref> and Qatar.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Thousands throng first-ever Biryani Festival \|url=https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/11/02/2018/Thousands-throng-first-ever-Biryani-Festival \|newspaper=[[The Peninsula (newspaper)\|The Peninsula]] \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=11 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|title=Biryani Festival launched \|url=https://www.gulf-times.com/story/580964/biryani-festival-launched \|newspaper=[[Gulf Times]] \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=8 February 2018}}</ref>		Biryani is used across the Indian Subcontinent in celebrations. Annual biryani festivals have been held in cities such as [[Ambur]],<ref>{{cite news \|title=Beef banned from menu at Tamil Nadu biryani festival, authorities asked to reconsider decision \|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/tamil-nadu/story/beef-banned-from-menu-at-tamil-nadu-biryani-festival-authorities-asked-to-reconsider-decision-1948783-2022-05-12 \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|newspaper=[[India Today]] \|date=12 May 2022}}</ref> [[Islamabad]]<ref>{{cite web \|title=Back Biryani Festival and Presenting of REAP Journal Ceremony \|url=https://www.kln.gov.my/web/pak_islamabad/news-from-mission/-/blogs/biryani-festival-and-presenting-of-reap-journal-ceremony \|publisher=High Commission of Malaysia, Islamabad \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=4 December 2023}}</ref> and [[Karachi]].<ref>{{cite web \|title=Biryani Festival 2024 \|url=https://moroccoconsulatekhi.com/biryani-festival-2024/ \|publisher=Morocco Consulate Karachi \|access-date=9 December 2025}}</ref> South Asian diaspora populations have held their own festivals, for example by the North American Indian Muslim Association in North America.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Biryani Fest \|url=https://indianmuslims.org/biryanifest/ \|publisher=North American Indian Muslim Association \|access-date=9 December 2025}}</ref> Biryani festivals have been held more widely in places such as Singapore<ref>{{cite web \|title=Savour the Flavours at Singapore's Only Biryani Festival 2.0 \|url=https://indiplomacy.com/2025/07/23/savour-the-flavours-at-singapores-only-biryani-festival-2-0/ \|website=In Diplomacy \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=23 July 2025}}</ref> and Qatar.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Thousands throng first-ever Biryani Festival \|url=https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/11/02/2018/Thousands-throng-first-ever-Biryani-Festival \|newspaper=[[The Peninsula (newspaper)\|The Peninsula]] \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=11 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|title=Biryani Festival launched \|url=https://www.gulf-times.com/story/580964/biryani-festival-launched \|newspaper=[[Gulf Times]] \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=8 February 2018}}</ref>

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[[Image:India food.jpg|thumb|[[Hyderabadi biryani]] served with [[Indian cuisine|Indian dishes]].]]

'''Biryani''', '''biriani''', '''beryani''' or '''beriani''' is a set of rice-based foods made with [[spice]]s, [[rice]] (usually [[basmati rice|basmati]]) and [[meat]], [[Fish (food)|fish]], [[Egg (food)|egg]]s or [[vegetable]]s. The name comes from the [[Persian language|Persian]] word ''beryā(n)'' which means "fried" or "roasted".<ref>''American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'', ''Oxford English Dictionary''</ref>

The cooking method of biryani came from [[Iran]]. It was brought to the [[Indian subcontinent]] by [[Iran]]ian travelers and merchants. In [[India]], the recipe of biryani developed to its current form. Local variants of this dish are popular not only in South Asia but also in [[Pakistan]], Southeast Asia, [[Arabia]], and within various South Asian communities in Western countries.

==Ingredients==
The [[spice]]s and [[condiment]]s used in biryani may include, but are not limited to, [[ghee]], [[nutmeg]], [[Mace (spice)|mace]], [[cumin]],<ref name="WWeek">Brown, Ruth. (8/17/2011.) "The Melting Pot - a local prep kitchen oncubates Portland's next generation of food businesses". '''37''', #41. ''Willamette Week''.</ref> [[Black pepper|pepper]], [[clove]]s,<ref name="WWeek"/> [[cardamom]], [[cinnamon]], [[Bay leaf|bay leaves]], [[coriander]], [[Mentha|mint]] leaves, [[ginger]], [[onion]]s, and [[garlic]]. The premium varieties include [[saffron]].<ref name="WWeek"/> For a non-[[vegetarianism|vegetarian]] biryani, the main ingredient with the [[spice]]s is the [[meat]]—[[beef]], [[chicken (food)|chicken]], [[Domestic goat|goat]], [[lamb and mutton|lamb]], [[Fish (food)|fish]] or [[shrimp]]. The dish may be served with [[dahi chutney]] or [[yoghurt|raita]], [[korma]], [[curry]], a sour dish of [[eggplant]] (brinjal), [[boiled egg]] and [[salad]].

Biryani and [[pullao]] are different. In biryani the rice (plain or fried) is cooked separately from the thick sauce (curry of meat or vegetables). The curry and the rice are then brought together and layered. This makes a dish with contrasting flavors of rice, sauce and meat or vegetables.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Other websites==
{{commons cat-inline}}

[[Category:Middle Eastern foods]]
[[Category:Indian food]]
[[Category:Pakistani food]]
[[Category:Rice dishes]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:43, 9 May 2026
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	}}		}}

	'''Biryani''' is a [[mixed rice dish]] originating in [[South<!--inc. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, please leave this alone, thank you--> Asia]], traditionally made with rice, meat ([[Chicken as food\|chicken]], [[Goat meat\|goat]], [[beef]]) or seafood ([[Shrimp and prawn as food\|prawns]] or [[Fish as food\|fish]]), vegetables, and [[spices]]. It was present in [[Mughal Empire\|Mughal-era India]], though the precise date and place of origin are debated.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> It is thought to derive from a [[Persian cuisine\|Persian]] rice dish, either ''[[Pilaf\|pilau]]'' or ''birinj biryan''.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><ref name="TheHindu2012"/><ref name="BBC 2016"/> The dish makes use of slow-cooking as in Persian pilau, combined with Persian-style yoghurt-[[marinated]] meat and a spicy [[Indian cuisine\|Indian]] style of cooking; it was likely developed in the Mughal court kitchens.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> It is also possible that biryani was brought to South India before the Mughal era, or that pilau was brought to India and biryani was developed from it before being adopted by the Mughals.<!--lead summarises cited text in article body-->		'''Biryani''' is a [[mixed rice dish]] originating in [[South<!--inc. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, please leave this alone, thank you--> Asia]], traditionally made with rice, meat ([[Chicken as food\|chicken]], [[Goat meat\|goat]], [[beef]]), seafood ([[Shrimp and prawn as food\|prawns]] or [[Fish as food\|fish]]), or vegetables, and [[spices]]. It was present in [[Mughal Empire\|Mughal-era India]], though the precise date and place of origin are debated.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> It is thought to derive from a [[Persian cuisine\|Persian]] rice dish, either ''[[Pilaf\|pilau]]'' or ''birinj biryan''.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><ref name="TheHindu2012"/><ref name="BBC 2016"/> The dish makes use of slow-cooking as in Persian pilau, combined with Persian-style yoghurt-[[marinated]] meat and a spicy [[Indian cuisine\|Indian]] style of cooking; it was likely developed in the Mughal court kitchens.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> It is also possible that biryani was brought to South India before the Mughal era, or that pilau was brought to India and biryani was developed from it before being adopted by the Mughals.<!--lead summarises cited text in article body-->

	Biryani is one of the most popular dishes in South<!--inc. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, please leave this alone--> Asia and among the [[South Asian diaspora]]. The dish ~~was~~ often associated with [[Islam in South Asia\|the region's Muslim population]] but is ~~now~~ a mainstream culinary staple embraced by every demographic.<!--<ref name="scroll7Feb20202"/>--> Similar dishes are prepared in many other countries, often with local variations, and often brought there by South Asian diaspora populations. Biryani is the most-ordered dish on Indian online food ordering and delivery services, is used in weddings and celebrations throughout the region, and has been described as the most popular dish in India.<!--lead summarises cited text in article body-->		Biryani is one of the most popular dishes in South<!--inc. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, please leave this alone--> Asia and among the [[South Asian diaspora]]. The dish is often associated with [[Islam in South Asia\|the region's Muslim population]] in particular,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Ramnath \|first=Nandini \|date=2025-07-05 \|title=‘Exoticised, alienised, villainised’: A book looks at how Muslims have been portrayed in Hindi films \|url=https://scroll.in/reel/1081541/exoticised-alienised-villainised-a-book-looks-at-how-muslims-have-been-portrayed-in-hindi-films \|access-date=2026-04-30 \|website=Scroll.in \|language=en}}</ref> but is nevertheless a mainstream culinary staple embraced by every demographic.<!--<ref name="scroll7Feb20202"/>--> Similar dishes are prepared in many other countries, often with local variations, and often brought there by South Asian diaspora populations. Biryani is the most-ordered dish on Indian online food ordering and delivery services, is used in weddings and celebrations throughout the region, and has been described as the most popular dish in India.<!--lead summarises cited text in article body-->

	== Etymology ==		== Etymology ==
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	[[File:Havij polo.jpg\|thumb\|A modern Persian [[Pilaf\|pilau]], ''havij polo'' (Persian: هویج پلو, "carrot rice") with rice grains cooked to remain separate and in different colours. Pilau may be an ancestor of biryani.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><ref name="TheHindu2012"/>]]		[[File:Havij polo.jpg\|thumb\|A modern Persian [[Pilaf\|pilau]], ''havij polo'' (Persian: هویج پلو, "carrot rice") with rice grains cooked to remain separate and in different colours. Pilau may be an ancestor of biryani.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><ref name="TheHindu2012"/>]]

	[[Pilaf\|Pilau]] (Persian: پلو 'plo', "rice") is a Persian rice dish, attested by the polymath and physician [[Avicenna]] in 10th century Persia.<ref name="Nabhan 2014">{{cite book \|last=Nabhan \|first=Gary Paul \|title=Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-glDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 \|page=135 \|publisher=[[University of California Press]] \|date=2014 \|isbn=978-0520267206}}</ref>		[[Pilaf\|Pilau]] (Persian: پلو 'plo', "rice") is a Persian rice dish, attested by the polymath and physician [[Avicenna]] in 10th century Persia.<ref name="Nabhan 2014">{{cite book \|last=Nabhan \|first=Gary Paul \|title=Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-glDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 \|page=135 \|publisher=[[University of California Press]] \|date=2014 \|isbn=978-0520267206}}</ref> According to R.N. Spengler et al., ''pilaf'' and similar rice dishes, which are staples of Central and Southwest Asian cooking, likely originated within the last thousand years following the [[Islamic Agricultural Revolution]].<ref>https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8464642/</ref>

	The [[Mughal Empire\|Mughal]] text ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]'' (written 1589–1596<ref>{{cite web \|title=Ain-I-Akbari.Vol.1 \|url=https://famineanddearth.exeter.ac.uk/displayhtml.html?id=fp_00128_en_ainiakbari_vol01 \|publisher=University of Exeter \|access-date=7 January 2026}}</ref>), from the time of the emperor [[Akbar]], mentions both pilau and biryani, listing ingredients with required quantities for each:<ref name="Ain-i-Akbari">{{cite book \|last1='Allami \|first1=Abul Fazl \|last2=Blochmann \|first2=Heinrich (trans.) \|author2-link=Heinrich Blochmann \|title=The Ain i Akbari \|date=1873 \|publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bengal]] \|location=Calcutta \|pages=59–60 \|url=https://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702050%26ct%3D0 \|archive-date=14 July 2018 \|access-date=7 January 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714022016/https://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702050%26ct%3D0 \|url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>		The [[Mughal Empire\|Mughal]] text ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]'' (written 1589–1596<ref>{{cite web \|title=Ain-I-Akbari.Vol.1 \|url=https://famineanddearth.exeter.ac.uk/displayhtml.html?id=fp_00128_en_ainiakbari_vol01 \|publisher=University of Exeter \|access-date=7 January 2026}}</ref>), from the time of the emperor [[Akbar]], mentions both pilau and biryani, listing ingredients with required quantities for each:<ref name="Ain-i-Akbari">{{cite book \|last1='Allami \|first1=Abul Fazl \|last2=Blochmann \|first2=Heinrich (trans.) \|author2-link=Heinrich Blochmann \|title=The Ain i Akbari \|date=1873 \|publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bengal]] \|location=Calcutta \|pages=59–60 \|url=https://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702050%26ct%3D0 \|archive-date=14 July 2018 \|access-date=7 January 2026 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714022016/https://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702050%26ct%3D0 \|url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>
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	In the view of the historian of Islamic cuisine Salma Hussein<ref name="BBC 2016"/> and others, biryani came to South Asia from Persia before the Mughal era,<ref name="Vir_invention">{{cite news \|last=Sanghvi \|first=Vir \|author-link=Vir Sanghvi \|title=Biryani Nation \|url=http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-food/2010/03/03/biryani-nation/ \|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]] \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140817181203/http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-food/2010/03/03/biryani-nation/ \|archive-date=17 August 2014 \|access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref> most probably arriving in South India's [[Deccan Plateau\|Deccan region]], brought by travelling soldier-statesmen and pilgrims.<ref name="BBC 2016"/> It has also been suggested that the dish was introduced from [[Persia]] by the Mughals.<ref name="Dhillon2013">{{cite book \|last=Dhillon \|first=Kris \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kj3BBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT234 \|title=The New Curry Secret \|publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company]] \|year=2013 \|isbn=978-0-7160-2352-4 \|page=234}}</ref> Another variant theory, that biryani came to India with [[Timurid dynasty\|Timur]]'s invasion, appears to be incorrect because there is no record of biryani having existed in his native region of Central Asia during that period.<ref name="Vir_invention"/>		In the view of the historian of Islamic cuisine Salma Hussein<ref name="BBC 2016"/> and others, biryani came to South Asia from Persia before the Mughal era,<ref name="Vir_invention">{{cite news \|last=Sanghvi \|first=Vir \|author-link=Vir Sanghvi \|title=Biryani Nation \|url=http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-food/2010/03/03/biryani-nation/ \|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]] \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140817181203/http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-food/2010/03/03/biryani-nation/ \|archive-date=17 August 2014 \|access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref> most probably arriving in South India's [[Deccan Plateau\|Deccan region]], brought by travelling soldier-statesmen and pilgrims.<ref name="BBC 2016"/> It has also been suggested that the dish was introduced from [[Persia]] by the Mughals.<ref name="Dhillon2013">{{cite book \|last=Dhillon \|first=Kris \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kj3BBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT234 \|title=The New Curry Secret \|publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company]] \|year=2013 \|isbn=978-0-7160-2352-4 \|page=234}}</ref> Another variant theory, that biryani came to India with [[Timurid dynasty\|Timur]]'s invasion, appears to be incorrect because there is no record of biryani having existed in his native region of Central Asia during that period.<ref name="Vir_invention"/>

	The historian of food [[K. T. Achaya]] states that pilau is "of older usage in India" than biryani, indicating that it could have been a precursor of biryani.<ref name="TheHindu2012">{{cite news \|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/food-safari-in-search-of-ambur-biryani/article3452311.ece \|title=Food Safari: In search of Ambur biryani \|last1=Padmanabhan \|first1=Mukund \|last2=Jeyan \|first2=Subash \|last3=Wilson \|first3=Subajayanthi \|date=26 May 2012 \|newspaper=[[The Hindu]] \|access-date=6 August 2018 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018041053/http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/Food/food-safari-in-search-of-ambur-biryani/article3452311.ece \|archive-date=18 October 2012}}</ref> Achaya notes that ancient and early medieval Indian texts described rice cooked with meat and spices, suggesting that composite rice dishes were part of the subcontinent's cuisine long before the Mughal period.<ref name="Achaya1994pX">{{cite book \|last=Achaya \|first=K. T. \|title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|location=Delhi \|year=1994 \|isbn=9780195634488 \|page=X}}</ref>He further references early Tamil literature from the Sangam era ({{circa}} 300 BCE–300 CE), describing a dish known in these sources as ūn sōru—rice cooked with meat, ghee, and spices—which bears structural similarities to later layered rice preparations.<ref name="Achaya1994pY">{{cite book \|last=Achaya \|first=K. T. \|title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|location=Delhi \|year=1994 \|isbn=978-0195634488 \|page=Y}}</ref>		The historian of food [[K. T. Achaya]] states that pilau is "of older usage in India" than biryani, indicating that it could have been a precursor of biryani.<ref name="TheHindu2012">{{cite news \|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/food-safari-in-search-of-ambur-biryani/article3452311.ece \|title=Food Safari: In search of Ambur biryani \|last1=Padmanabhan \|first1=Mukund \|last2=Jeyan \|first2=Subash \|last3=Wilson \|first3=Subajayanthi \|date=26 May 2012 \|newspaper=[[The Hindu]] \|access-date=6 August 2018 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018041053/http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/Food/food-safari-in-search-of-ambur-biryani/article3452311.ece \|archive-date=18 October 2012}}</ref> Achaya notes that ancient and early medieval Indian texts described rice cooked with meat and spices, suggesting that composite rice dishes were part of the subcontinent's cuisine long before the Mughal period.<ref name="Achaya1994pX">{{cite book \|last=Achaya \|first=K. T. \|title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|location=Delhi \|year=1994 \|isbn=9780195634488 \|page=X}}</ref>He further references early Tamil literature from the Sangam era ({{circa}} 300 BCE–300 CE), describing a dish known in these sources as ūn sōru—rice cooked with meat, ghee, and spices—which bears structural similarities to later layered rice preparations.<ref name="Achaya1994pY">{{cite book \|last=Achaya \|first=K. T. \|title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|location=Delhi \|year=1994 \|isbn=978-0195634488 \|page=Y}}</ref> However, according to [[Ashis Nandy]], [[Colleen Taylor Sen]], and [[Charles Perry (food writer)\|Charles Perry]], despite having similar names, these dishes referenced in ancient Indian texts were distinct from both pulao and biryani.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Sage Journals: Discover world-class research \|url=https://journals.sagepub.com/action/cookieAbsent \|access-date=2026-04-29 \|website=Sage Journals \|language=en \|doi=10.1177/0262728004042760}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Perry \|first=Charles \|date=1994-12-15 \|title=Annual Cookbook Issue : BOOK REVIEW : An Armchair Guide to the Indian Table : INDIAN FOOD: A Historical Companion By K. T. Achaya (Oxford University Press: 1994; $35; 290 pp.) \|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-15-fo-9100-story.html \|access-date=2026-04-29 \|website=Los Angeles Times \|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Sen \|first=Colleen Taylor \|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=VN_vCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA164&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false \|title=Feasts and Fasts: A History of Food in India \|date=2014-11-15 \|publisher=[[Reaktion Books]] \|isbn=978-1-78023-391-8}}</ref> Later, K.T. Achaya himself conceded that, despite the linguistic similarity, these dishes referenced in ancient Indian texts were not the same as the medieval pulao.<ref>https://www.virsanghvi.com/Article-Details.aspx?key=1777 by [[Vir Sanghvi]] </ref>

	[[File:Theories of Biryani's origins.svg\|center\|thumb\|upright=3.5\|Biryani evidently has some connection with Persia, but commentators disagree on what that might be. [[Pilaf\|Pilau]] is certainly a Persian dish, attested by [[Avicenna]] in 10th century Persia;<ref name="Nabhan 2014"/> ''Birinj biryan'' is a Persian phrase meaning "fried rice".<ref name="Pratibha2009"/> The Mughals had biryani by the reign of [[Akbar]] in the 16th century, attested in the ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]''.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><br/>		[[File:Theories of Biryani's origins.svg\|center\|thumb\|upright=3.5\|Biryani evidently has some connection with Persia, but commentators disagree on what that might be. [[Pilaf\|Pilau]] is certainly a Persian dish, attested by [[Avicenna]] in 10th century Persia;<ref name="Nabhan 2014"/> ''Birinj biryan'' is a Persian phrase meaning "fried rice".<ref name="Pratibha2009"/> The Mughals had biryani by the reign of [[Akbar]] in the 16th century, attested in the ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]''.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><br/>
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	== In culture ==		== In culture ==

	Biryani forms "the centrepiece of countless Indian holidays and weddings".<ref name="Haq 2016 BBC">{{cite web \|last1=Haq \|first1=Husna \|title=India’s biryani wars \|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20161006-indias-biryani-wars \|publisher=[[BBC]] Travel \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=7 October 2016}}</ref> In Bangladesh, kacchi biryani with mutton has been described as "the quintessential wedding dish"<ref name="Old Dhaka"/> of [[Old Dhaka]], largely replacing the murg (chicken) pulao that was favoured in the 20th century<ref name="Old Dhaka">{{cite news \|title=Old Dhaka Weddings: Of flavours and traditions \|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/life-living/news/old-dhaka-weddings-flavours-and-traditions-3882986 \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)\|The Daily Star]]}}</ref> for special occasions across the subcontinent.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> In [[Delhi]], the Muslim festival of [[Eid al-Adha\|Bakr Eid]] was marked by biryani at dinner, using the mutton from ~~the~~ goats slaughtered in memory of the prophet [[Abraham]], who had shown he was willing ~~even~~ to sacrifice his own son.<ref name="Haq 2016 BBC"/>		Biryani forms "the centrepiece of countless Indian holidays and weddings".<ref name="Haq 2016 BBC">{{cite web \|last1=Haq \|first1=Husna \|title=India’s biryani wars \|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20161006-indias-biryani-wars \|publisher=[[BBC]] Travel \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=7 October 2016}}</ref> In Bangladesh, kacchi biryani with mutton has been described as "the quintessential wedding dish"<ref name="Old Dhaka"/> of [[Old Dhaka]], largely replacing the murg (chicken) pulao that was favoured in the 20th century<ref name="Old Dhaka">{{cite news \|title=Old Dhaka Weddings: Of flavours and traditions \|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/life-living/news/old-dhaka-weddings-flavours-and-traditions-3882986 \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)\|The Daily Star]]}}</ref> for special occasions across the subcontinent.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> In [[Delhi]], the Muslim festival of [[Eid al-Adha\|Bakr Eid]] was marked by biryani at dinner, using the mutton from goats slaughtered in memory of the prophet [[Abraham]], who had shown he was willing to sacrifice his own son.<ref name="Haq 2016 BBC"/>

	Biryani is used across the Indian Subcontinent in celebrations. Annual biryani festivals have been held in cities such as [[Ambur]],<ref>{{cite news \|title=Beef banned from menu at Tamil Nadu biryani festival, authorities asked to reconsider decision \|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/tamil-nadu/story/beef-banned-from-menu-at-tamil-nadu-biryani-festival-authorities-asked-to-reconsider-decision-1948783-2022-05-12 \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|newspaper=[[India Today]] \|date=12 May 2022}}</ref> [[Islamabad]]<ref>{{cite web \|title=Back Biryani Festival and Presenting of REAP Journal Ceremony \|url=https://www.kln.gov.my/web/pak_islamabad/news-from-mission/-/blogs/biryani-festival-and-presenting-of-reap-journal-ceremony \|publisher=High Commission of Malaysia, Islamabad \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=4 December 2023}}</ref> and [[Karachi]].<ref>{{cite web \|title=Biryani Festival 2024 \|url=https://moroccoconsulatekhi.com/biryani-festival-2024/ \|publisher=Morocco Consulate Karachi \|access-date=9 December 2025}}</ref> South Asian diaspora populations have held their own festivals, for example by the North American Indian Muslim Association in North America.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Biryani Fest \|url=https://indianmuslims.org/biryanifest/ \|publisher=North American Indian Muslim Association \|access-date=9 December 2025}}</ref> Biryani festivals have been held more widely in places such as Singapore<ref>{{cite web \|title=Savour the Flavours at Singapore's Only Biryani Festival 2.0 \|url=https://indiplomacy.com/2025/07/23/savour-the-flavours-at-singapores-only-biryani-festival-2-0/ \|website=In Diplomacy \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=23 July 2025}}</ref> and Qatar.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Thousands throng first-ever Biryani Festival \|url=https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/11/02/2018/Thousands-throng-first-ever-Biryani-Festival \|newspaper=[[The Peninsula (newspaper)\|The Peninsula]] \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=11 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|title=Biryani Festival launched \|url=https://www.gulf-times.com/story/580964/biryani-festival-launched \|newspaper=[[Gulf Times]] \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=8 February 2018}}</ref>		Biryani is used across the Indian Subcontinent in celebrations. Annual biryani festivals have been held in cities such as [[Ambur]],<ref>{{cite news \|title=Beef banned from menu at Tamil Nadu biryani festival, authorities asked to reconsider decision \|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/tamil-nadu/story/beef-banned-from-menu-at-tamil-nadu-biryani-festival-authorities-asked-to-reconsider-decision-1948783-2022-05-12 \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|newspaper=[[India Today]] \|date=12 May 2022}}</ref> [[Islamabad]]<ref>{{cite web \|title=Back Biryani Festival and Presenting of REAP Journal Ceremony \|url=https://www.kln.gov.my/web/pak_islamabad/news-from-mission/-/blogs/biryani-festival-and-presenting-of-reap-journal-ceremony \|publisher=High Commission of Malaysia, Islamabad \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=4 December 2023}}</ref> and [[Karachi]].<ref>{{cite web \|title=Biryani Festival 2024 \|url=https://moroccoconsulatekhi.com/biryani-festival-2024/ \|publisher=Morocco Consulate Karachi \|access-date=9 December 2025}}</ref> South Asian diaspora populations have held their own festivals, for example by the North American Indian Muslim Association in North America.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Biryani Fest \|url=https://indianmuslims.org/biryanifest/ \|publisher=North American Indian Muslim Association \|access-date=9 December 2025}}</ref> Biryani festivals have been held more widely in places such as Singapore<ref>{{cite web \|title=Savour the Flavours at Singapore's Only Biryani Festival 2.0 \|url=https://indiplomacy.com/2025/07/23/savour-the-flavours-at-singapores-only-biryani-festival-2-0/ \|website=In Diplomacy \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=23 July 2025}}</ref> and Qatar.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Thousands throng first-ever Biryani Festival \|url=https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/11/02/2018/Thousands-throng-first-ever-Biryani-Festival \|newspaper=[[The Peninsula (newspaper)\|The Peninsula]] \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=11 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|title=Biryani Festival launched \|url=https://www.gulf-times.com/story/580964/biryani-festival-launched \|newspaper=[[Gulf Times]] \|access-date=9 December 2025 \|date=8 February 2018}}</ref>